XXVII.

At laft as there he romed up and downe,
He chaunft one coming towards him to fpy,
Tha tfeem'd to be fome forie fimple clowne,
With ragged weedes, and lockes upftaring hye,
As if he did from fome late daunger fly,
And yet his feare did follow him behynd:
Who as he unto him approached nye,
He mote perceive by fignes which he did fynd,
That Coridon it was, the filly fhepheards hynd.
XXVIII.

Tho to him running faft, he did not ftay

To greet him firft, but askt where were the reft,
Where Paftorell? who full of fresh dismay,
And gushing forth in teares, was fo oppreft,
That he no word could fpeake, but fmit his breft,
And up to heaven his eyes faft ftreming threw :
Whereat the knight amaz'd, yet did not rest,
But askt againe, what ment that rufull hew,
Where was his Paftorell, where all the other crew?
XXIX.

Ah well away, fayd he then fighing fore,
That ever I did live this day to fee,
This difmall day, and was not dead before,
Before I faw faire Paftorella dye !
Die! out alas! then Calidore did cry,
How could the death dare ever her to quell ?
But read, thou Shepheard, read what deftiny,
Or other dyrefull hap from heaven or hell

Hath wrought this wicked deed? doe feare away, and tell.
XXX.

Tho when the fhepheard breathed had awhyle,
He thus began; Where fhall I then commence
This wofull tale? or how thofe Brigants vyle
With cruell rage and dreadfull violence
Spoyld all our cots, and caried us from hence?
Or how faire Paftorell should have bene fold
To marchants, but was fav'd with strong defence?
Or how thofe theeves, whileft one fought her to hold,
Fell all at ods, and fought through fury fierce and bold?

XXXI. In

XXXI.

In that fame conflict (woe is me!) befell
This fatall chaunce, this dolefull accident,
Whofe heavy tydings now I have to tell.
First all the captives, which they here had bent,
Were by them flaine by generall confent;
Old Melibee and his good wife withall
Thefe eyes faw die, and dearely did lament:
But when the lot to Paftorell did fall,

Their captaine long withstood, and did her death forftall.

XXXII.

But what could he gainst all them doe alone?
It could not boot; needs mote fhe die at laft:
I onely fcapt through great confufione
Of cryes and clamors, which among ft them paft,
In dreadfull darknesse, dreadfully aghaft;
That better were with them to have bene dead,
Then here to fee all defolate and waft,
Defpoyled of thofe ioyes and iollybead,

Which with those gentle Shepheards here I wont to lead.
XXXIII.

When Calidore these ruefull newes had raught,
His hart quite deaded was with anguish great,
And all his wits with doole were nigh distraught,
That he his face, his head, his breft did beat,
And death itselfe unto himselfe did threat,

Oft curfing th' heavens, that fo cruell were
To her, whose name he often did repeat,
And wishing oft, that he were present there
When she was flaine, or had bene to her fuccour nere.
XXXIV.

But after griefe awhile had had his course,
And spent itselfe in mourning, he at laft
Began to mitigate his fwelling fourse,
And in his mind with better reason cast
How he might save her life, if life did last;

Or if it to revenge he were too weake,

Then for to die with her, and his lives threed to breake.

XXXV.

Tho Coridon he prayd, fith he well knew
The readie way unto that theevith wonne,
To wend with him, and be his conduct trew
Unto the place, to fee what should be donne :
But he, whofe hart through feare was late fordonne,
Would not for ought be drawne to former drede;
But by all meanes the daunger knowne did fhonne :
Yet Calidore fo well him wrought with meed,
And faire bespoke with words, that he at last agreed.
XXXVI.

So forth they goe together (God before)

Both clad in fhepheards weeds agreeably,
And both with shepheards hookes; but Calidore
Had underneath him armed privily:

Tho to the place when they approached nye
They chaunft, upon an hill not farre away,
Some flockes of sheepe and fhepheards to espy;
To whom they both agreed to take their way,
In hope there newes to learne, how they mote best affay.
XXXVII.

There did they find, that which they did not feare,

The felf-fame flocks the which thofe theeves had reft
From Melibee and from themselves whyleare,
And certaine of the theeves there by them left,
The which for want of heards themselves then kept:
Right well knew Coridon his owne late sheepe,
And seeing them, for tender pittie wept :

But when he saw the theeves which did them keepe,
His hart gan fayle, albe he saw them all asleepe.

XXXVIII.

But Calidore recomforting his griefe,

Though not his feare; for nought may feare diffwade;
Him hardly forward drew, whereas the thiefe
Lay fleeping foundly in the bushes shade,
Whom Coridon him counfeld to invade
Now all unwares, and take the spoyle away;
But he, that in his mind had closely made
A further purpose, would not fo them flay,
But gently waking them, gave them the time of day.

XXXIX. Tho

XXXIX.

Tho fitting downe by them upon the greene
Of fundrie things he purpose gan to faine,
That he by them might certaine tydings weene
Of Paftorell, were fhe alive or flaine:

Mongst which the theeves them questioned againe,
What mifter men, and eke from whence they were?

To whom they answer'd, as did appertaine,

That they were poore heard-groomes, the which whylere Had from their maifters fled, and now fought hyre elfwhere. XL.

Whereof right glad they feem'd, and offer made

To hyre them well if they their flockes would keepe :
For they themselves were evill groomes, they fayd,
Unwont with heards to watch, or pasture sheepe,
But to forray the land, or fcoure the deepe:
Thereto they foone agreed, and earnest tooke
To keepe their flockes for litle hyre and chepe;
For they for better hyre did shortly looke:

So there all day they bode, till light the sky forfooke.
XLI.

Tho whenas towards darksome night it drew,

Unto their hellish dens those theeves them brought;
Where shortly they in great acquaintance grew,
And all the fecrets of their entrayles fought:
There did they find, contrarie to their thought,
That Paftorell yet liv'd; but all the rest
Were dead, right fo as Coridon had taught:
Whereof they both full glad and blyth did reft,
But chiefly Calidore, whom griefe had most possest.

XLII.

At length when they occasion fittest found, 、

In dead of night, when all the theeves did rest
After a late forray, and flept full found,

Sir Calidore him arm'd, as he thought beft;
Having of late by diligent inqueft

Provided him a fword of meanest fort;

With which he streight went to the captaines nest:
But Coridon durft not with him confort,

Ne durft abide behind, for dread of worfe effort.

XLIII. Wher

XLIII.

When to the cave they came, they found it faft:
But Calidore with huge refiftleffe might
The dores affayled, and the locks upbraft:
With noyse whereof the theefe awaking light
Unto the entrance ran; where the bold knight
Encountring him with small refistence flew :
The whiles faire Paftorell through great affright
Was almost dead, mifdoubting least of new
Some uprore were like that which lately she did vew.
XLIV.

But whenas Calidore was comen in,

And gan aloud for Paftorell to call,

Knowing his voice, although not heard long fin,
She fudden was revived therewithall,
And wondrous ioy felt in her fpirits thrall:
Like him that being long in tempeft toft,

Looking each houre into deathes mouth to fall,
At length espyes at hand the happie cost,

On which he fafety hopes, that earft feard to be loft.
XLV.

Her gentle hart, that now long season past

Had never ioyance felt nor chearefull thought,
Began fome fmacke of comfort new to taft,
Like lyfeful heat to nummed senses brought,
And life to feele, that long for death had fought :
Ne leffe in hart reioyced Calidore,

When he her found; but like to one distraught
And robd of reason, towards her him bore,

A thousand times embraft, and kift a thousand more.
XLVI.

But now by this, with noyse of late uprore,
The hue and cry was raysed all about;
And all the Brigants flocking in great store
Unto the cave gan preaffe, nought having dout
Of that was doen, and entred in a rout:
But Calidore in th'entry close did stand,
And entertayning them with courage ftout
Still flew the formoft that came firft to hand;
So long till all the entry was with bodies mand.

XLVII. Tho